Archive for 2022

The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Paul-Xavier Etter as Director of Technical Training.

“With more than 20 years working in biotech and biopharma manufacturing in Canada and internationally, we’re pleased to have Paul-Xavier bring his experience to this important leadership role,” said Penny Walsh-McGuire, CASTL Executive Director. “Paul-Xavier’s passion for developing individuals to enhance their performance and deliver safe medicines to patients aligns with CASTL’s values and our vision to expand our biopharma manufacturing training programs across Canada.”

As a highly skilled senior executive with more than 20 years of industry experience in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, Paul-Xavier has held roles with Sanofi Pasteur, Medicago, and GlaxoSmithKline. He is experienced in process development, technology transfer, green fields, production in cGMP and GLP environments, and Lean Six Sigma project management standards. He has led multidisciplinary teams as well as large and complex projects from research and development to commercialization.

Over his career, Paul-Xavier has contributed to the commercialization of over a billion doses of vaccines. In recent years, he was at the forefront of the COVID-19 crisis with Medicago and Inventprise. His passion for training individuals was applied in his role with projects in collaboration with the prestigious Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Over the span of his career, he successfully helped drive change and implement new processes internationally. He was an influencer at Sanofi Pasteur Canada to introduce Industry 4.0 in a major capital project.

“I am delighted to join CASTL and be front and center to coach the next generation of Canadian biopharmaceutical workers”, said Etter. “I look forward to working with our training team as we continue to build out our national skills and training network to ensure CASTL offers a best-in-class training experience to both industry and academic partners.”

As CASTL continues to expand hands-on training opportunities across Canada, Paul-Xavier will be responsible for leading operations at the hands-on training facilities in Charlottetown (opening September 2022), Montreal, and future sites. In addition, he will oversee the delivery of the practical and theoretical biopharmaceutical manufacturing training programs and new curriculum development in response to the Canadian industry’s needs.

For more information on the CASTL training programs, visit www.castlcanada.ca or email info@castlcanada.ca

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CONTACT
Chelsey Rogerson
Director of Communication / Directrice, Marketing et communications
902-213-7351
chelsey@castlcanada.ca

About CASTL
The Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) is a first-of-its-kind partnership between academia, industry, and government to address the future skills needs of the Canadian life sciences sector. Specializing in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, CASTL delivers on the economic and sectoral demand for individuals who are work-ready to enter, thrive and meet the needs of the fast-growing Canadian biomanufacturing industry. CASTL is the exclusive provider of the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) licensed training programs in Canada. Based in Ireland, NIBRT develops and delivers state-of-the-art training and education programs for the world’s leading biopharmaceutical manufacturing companies and partner academic institutions. CASTL is supported by National Lead Partner adMare Academy. The adMare Academy is dedicated to providing the specialized training required to foster the next generation of highly qualified personnel who will drive the growth of Canadian life science companies. For more information on CASTL, visit www.castlcanada.ca

THREE RIVERS, PE/ Today, the PEI Partnership for Growth (PFG) released an action plan that sets out priorities for economic development in the province for the next five years.

The initiative was led by 21 business and industry sector organizations, representing enterprises big and small, and is based on the consultation of over 220 individuals and organizations. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in PEI and has been supported by the Province of PEI. The Economic Action Plan is designed to be a roadmap for accelerating economic success by recognizing the key enablers of broad-based prosperity and addressing big issues such as workforce and housing shortages, innovation capacity and low average wages.

“Our vision is for PEI to be a leader in entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth, attracting people, technology, and capital to a growing economy where businesses and all Islanders succeed,” said Rory Francis, Interim Chair of Partnership for Growth. “The power of this plan will be in its implementation- strong alignment among business sectors, governments at all levels, and academic and research partners, working together to advance key initiatives,” he said.

“This Economic Action Plan is extremely timely,” said Premier Dennis King. “I want to acknowledge the work of the many individual businesses and sector organizations that contributed to it. The Action Plan represents an unprecedented consensus on what will be necessary to continue our strong pre-pandemic growth and build the Island’s economic prosperity into the future. We only need to look back at the last couple of years to be reminded of the importance of a healthy and resilient economy to our wellbeing as citizens, as a province, and as a country,” the Premier stated.

The action plan research and consultations were conducted in 2019 and 2020 and has been updated to reflect learnings from the pandemic and current economic pressures. Prince Edward Island had 12 years of consistent economic growth prior to the pandemic, and this Action Plan provides both core actions and specific five-year targets that will be used to monitor progress towards the stated goals.

“All Island sectors and businesses have unique challenges and opportunities. It is truly exciting and motivating to see a plan that we can implement and contribute to that will work to help everyone’s specific needs, as well as the big picture for economic success here on PEI,” said Jason Aspin of Aspin Kemp & Associates, a leader in PEI’s Cleantech sector.

The Plan identifies actions in areas including innovation and sector development strategies, vibrant communities, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and clean growth. Targets to be achieved by 2026 include a 10% increase in GDP, exceeding the national average in employment levels, average hourly wage, and productivity levels, international exports growing by 4% annually, and achieving the highest percentage of high growth businesses in Atlantic Canada.

To review the proposed plan, visit PEI Economic Action Plan 2021-2026
For more information about PFG, visit https://peipartnershipforgrowth.ca/

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Media Contact
Name: Dawn Binns
Phone: 902-393-2050
Email: db@insightstudiopei.com

Today, the PEI BioAlliance unveiled a new HR strategy for the province’s bioscience sector. HR Strategy 2025: Breaking Barriers – Driving Growth is the fourth HR Strategy in the history of the PEI bioscience cluster. The strategy focuses on actions to enhance recruitment and retention success, provide HR support to companies, address the talent gap through skills and training development, and increase public awareness and understanding of bioscience career paths.

PEI’s 60 bioscience companies combined have more than 2200 employees, representing 60% growth since 2015. In 2020, the sector celebrated $364 million in sales, $61 million in investment attraction, and $100 million in new equipment and facilities. By 2025, the PEI BioAlliance expects to see those numbers grow to $500 million in sales supported by 3000 employees.

The PEI bioscience business community and its partners have collaborated to grow strong, sustainable organizations that are offering rewarding careers in Prince Edward Island.

The BioAlliance now advertises more than 350 positions each year (up from 100/year in 2018). The breakdown of job categories over the past five years hovers around: 50% production, 20% scientist/research, 15% quality assurance/quality control, and 15% business administration.

“The strategy is built on 16 years of experience and well-tracked key metrics where we can look back and see all that we have accomplished, the strong sector growth, and the opportunities we must capture to keep building a robust community of talent that can match and enable future growth”, said Vivian Beer, HR Strategy Manager, PEI BioAlliance.

Recruitment represents the most comprehensive focus of activities in the Strategy, as it is critical in supporting company growth and in enabling new companies to establish a presence in Prince Edward Island.

To support retention and provide further HR support to companies, the BioAlliance plans to establish an HR Excellence Initiative within the sector focused on advancing HR best practices, support and training which will also serve as an attraction tool for top talent.

The Strategy also speaks to the importance of building public awareness and understanding of bioscience career paths through early engagement with junior high and high schools, an increased digital presence, and local community partnerships such as STEAM PEI and 4-H.

Until recently, there has been limited dedicated bioscience skills and training capacity in the biomanufacturing sector in Atlantic Canada. To address the talent gap, PEI BioAlliance launched the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL) in 2020. The initiative is focused on new skilling, upskilling, and reskilling talent for the bioscience sector across Canada, with particular emphasis on biopharmaceutical manufacturing.

BIOVECTRA, one of the anchor companies in PEI’s bioscience sector, is widening its search for talented professionals. “Our workforce is growing because our company is expanding into mRNA vaccine and therapeutics, so we need talent from a variety of professions. As we recruit our future workforce, CASTL learning is one of the value-added experiences we can offer as an employer to attract talent who want to grow their knowledge and develop hands-on skills for a bright future in life sciences,” says Lester Wood, Vice President of People and Culture at BIOVECTRA.

Other PEI bioscience companies are also expanding and adding jobs, says Beer. “Over 50% of our bioscience companies have advertised positions in the past year. We have established a well-targeted audience of more than 5000 contacts (up 73% since 2015). We consistently attract new contacts to our community/career news audience from across Canada and internationally.”

The new HR Strategy will support other strategic priorities laid out in the PEI BioAlliance 2021-2025 Strategic Plan published in July 2021. These include business attraction, increased sector employment, expansion of vital infrastructure, and achieving international recognition as a leading force in Canada’s Bio-revolution.

Quick Facts

• The PEI Bioscience Cluster currently has 61 companies.
• Over 2200 employees work within the PEI Bioscience Cluster.
• The total payroll in the biocluster is almost $80 million.
• 80% of recruited employees working in PEI’s bioscience industry come from within Atlantic Canada.
• Employment in the PEI biocluster grew by just over 800 employees since 2015, almost 60% growth.

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Media Contact

Chelsey Rogerson
Director of Communications and Marketing
PEI BioAlliance
C: 902.213.7351
E: chelsey@peibioalliance.com

About the PEI BioAlliance

Since 2005, the PEI BioAlliance has coordinated the development and growth of the province’s bioscience cluster and established the conditions for business success. The cluster creates high-quality, Island-based jobs in the areas of human, animal, and fish health and nutrition. The PEI BioAlliance is a partnership of 60 businesses, academic and research institutions, and federal and provincial government agencies, dedicated to establishing the bioscience sector as a key pillar in the economic foundation of the province and Atlantic Canada.

www.peibioalliance.com

Protein Industries Canada announced a new project to grow the plant-based foods ecosystem in Atlantic Canada. The project will see the Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance (ECODA) work with Dalhousie University and the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) to explore and quantify the value of plant-protein food and ingredients in the Atlantic Region, while also increasing awareness about the sector.

“The government firmly believes in Canada’s plant-based food and ingredient ecosystem,” said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “Through the Protein Industries Supercluster, we are supporting projects from coast to coast to coast, and by partnering with ECODA, Dalhousie University and UPEI for this project, we will help the industry grow and prosper in Atlantic Canada for years to come.”

“As Canadians and people around the world start eating more plant-based foods and ingredients, our Government is supporting this fast-growing industry in the Atlantic region to harness the global potential. With this project, we will see expansion of opportunities for plant-based crops and ingredients while helping to create a strong industry across Canada,” said the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food.

Plant-based food and ingredients is one of the largest growth sectors that global agriculture has experienced in the last decade. The global market demand is projected to reach $250 billion CDN by 2035. Protein Industries Canada, along with the national ecosystem, have developed a plan for Canada to have the sector valued at $25 billion by 2035. This project is key to developing a strong national sector by developing regional ecosystems and connecting them to the larger industry.

“When people think about plant protein, their first thoughts is usually the Prairies – with images of fields of canola, wheat, peas and lentils,” CEO of Protein Industries Canada Bill Greuel said. “But Canada’s agrifood sector is truly national in scope from the farmers and ingredient processors in the Prairies, to the food manufacturers in British Columbia, Ontario and Québec. Now with this project, we are strengthening the plant-based ecosystem of Atlantic Canada connecting the value chain from coast-to-coast, and further strengthening Canada’s position as a global leader in plant-based food and ingredients.”

The $350,000 project will lay the groundwork for the future development of the Atlantic sector, by focusing on opportunities to increase economic return, improve diversity and sustainability, and increase the production of plant-based crops and ingredient processing in Atlantic Canada. The project partners will work with communities and businesses, including Indigenous-led, to determine challenges in the plant-protein sector and build networks in the supply chain, leading to an increased understanding of value-added opportunities for the plant-protein ecosystem coast-to-coast. The project will do this through three main areas of work: asset mapping, value chain analysis and food system literacy and awareness about careers in agri-food. This foundational work will lead to increased production, processing, and adding value to pulses, oilseeds, and grains in the Atlantic region, and further exploration into plant-protein value chain opportunities.

“Over the past decade, ECODA has served an important role in convening partnerships among academic institutions, researchers, and industry to enhance innovation in agricultural crop supply chains,” said Rory Francis, ECODA President. “This project will identify and align regional partners that are essential to accelerating economic impact for plant protein production and added-value in Atlantic Canada.”

“We will need all our bright minds working together to drive success in addressing the global demand for food security and plant-based proteins,” said David Gray, Faculty of Agriculture at Dalhousie University’s Dean and Campus Principal. “This collaboration with Protein Industries Canada, ECODA and with our colleagues at UPEI will go a long way to fortify our plant-based ecosystem in Atlantic Canada.”

“The University of Prince Edward Island is pleased to contribute to the development of the plant-based protein sector in Atlantic Canada,” said Dr. Kathy Gottschall-Pass, University of Prince Edward Island’s Interim Vice-President Academic and Research. “With the ongoing growth in the world’s population, access to sustainable sources of high-quality protein is essential, and expansion of the sector in this region will further strengthen that access.”

Protein Industries Canada is one of Canada’s five innovation Superclusters. As an industry-led organization, Protein Industries Canada works to position Canada as a global source of high-quality plant-based food, feed and ingredients. Over the past three years, Protein Industries Canada has co-invested into 40 projects with more than $451 million committed to advancing Canada’s plant-based foods sector through investment into projects focused on research and development of new plant-based ingredients and food and to build capacity within the ecosystem. This is Protein Industries Canada’s first co-investment into Atlantic Canada.

For more information:
Celeen George
Protein Industries Canada
Winnipeg, Man.
204-295-7925
celeen@proteinsupercluster.ca

About Eastern Canada Oilseed Development Alliance (ECODA)

Established in 2009, the Eastern Canada Oilseeds Development Alliance (ECODA) is a private, non-profit based in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. By facilitating oilseed supply chain partnerships to drive innovation, manage risk, and capitalize on economic value, ECODA benefits oilseed growers, processors, and exporters in Eastern Canada. This work contributes to Canada’s ability to maintain and strengthen our global market share for soybeans, canola, other oilseeds and related plant protein, oils, and value-added products.

About Dalhousie University

At the core of Dalhousie’s research and innovation are world-leading researchers working in labs, studios and in the field. Building on our legacy of ground-breaking research and outstanding scholarship, we are focused on providing a unique, interactive and collaborative environment that supports our researchers to achieve excellence.

About the University of Prince Edward Island

The University of Prince Edward Island is committed to assisting students reach their full potential in both the classroom and community. With an excellent reputation for academic excellence and research innovation, UPEI offers a wide range of programs and degrees to undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students. Home to Canada Research Chairs, a UNESCO Chair, endowed and sponsored research chairs, and 3M National Teaching Fellows, UPEI offers its students access to exceptional faculty, researchers, and staff. Students come from local, regional, national, and international locations to study and learn at UPEI, the only degree-granting institution in the province. UPEI is proud to be a key contributor to the growth and prosperity of Prince Edward Island.

Charlottetown, PEI – Prince Edward Island’s Biomanufacturing Strategy took an important step forward today with the opening of a new $6.5 million Biomanufacturing Incubator (BMI).

The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister responsible for ACOA, and the Honourable Matthew Mackay, Minister of Economic Growth, Tourism and Culture joined PEI BioAlliance CEO, Rory Francis, and PEI BioCluster members to officially announce the opening. The new BMI is a 20,000 sq/ft facility comprised of six fully serviced, self-contained units to support pilot-scale manufacturing of bio-based products.

“The Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator is essential infrastructure supporting companies to accelerate from the R&D stage to commercial manufacturing,” said Oliver Technow, Chair of the Board of Directors, PEI BioAlliance, and CEO of BIOVECTRA. “To have this ability here is crucial for PEI and Atlantic Canada to continue developing its centre of expertise in biomanufacturing.”

The BMI was made possible by a $1.5 million contribution by ACOA and a $500,000 contribution by the Province of PEI. The remainder of the financing was the responsibility of the BioAlliance through Finance PEI and the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation who served as project manager.

“The success story of Prince Edward Island’s bioscience cluster is recognized across Canada and internationally. Strategic investments like those announced today will ensure a continued path of growth for the industry by attracting industry-leading companies and building a highly skilled workforce”, said the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for ACOA.

“The bioscience industry is one of the most important sectors of the PEI economy, in terms of export sales, employment and investment,” said Premier King. “I’m thrilled to see this partnership of industry and governments invest in infrastructure that will continue this growth.”

The new facility begins to address the gap in pilot-scale manufacturing infrastructure that exists in eastern Canada and creates greater opportunity for early stage Canadian biomanufacturers to advance to commercial viability.

The facility was over-subscribed before completion, highlighting the need for further infrastructure investments. Tenants of the building will include Chinova Bioworks, the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences (CASTL), the National Research Council (NRC), and BIOVECTRA.

At the event, federal and provincial representatives also announced $3.1 million in funding for training equipment to establish the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences’ (CASTL) new biopharmaceutical manufacturing skills and training centre at the BMI.

Over the past several years, BioAlliance public and private sector partners have made a series of strategic investments to take a leadership position in providing biomanufacturing infrastructure, skilled human resources, and services for Canadian and international businesses.

In November of 2021, BIOVECTRA with the federal and provincial governments announced a $79.6 million investment to build one of Canada’s first mRNA vaccine production and biomanufacturing facility, creating 125 new jobs in both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.

For more information on the PEI BioAlliance and the local bioscience cluster, visit peibioalliance.com.

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About the PEI BioAlliance
The Prince Edward Island BioAlliance is the private sector-led not-for-profit organization that is responsible for developing and coordinating the strategy for the growth of the Prince Edward Island Bioscience Cluster. Since 2005, the BioAlliance has facilitated the work of businesses, academic and research institutions, and federal and provincial government agencies in establishing the bioscience sector as a key pillar in the economic foundation of the province and Atlantic Canada.

About the Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator
The new Bioscience Manufacturing Incubator (BMI) is a 20,000 sq/ft facility comprised of six fully serviced, self-contained units to support pilot-scale manufacturing of bio-based products. The facility has been specially designed and built to meet the strict regulatory standards required for the production of health and nutrition products. It is located in the BioCommons Industrial Park and is owned by the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation (CADC) and operated by the PEI BioAlliance.

Media Contact
Chelsey Rogerson
Director of Communications and Marketing
PEI BioAlliance
C: 902.213.7351
E: chelsey@peibioalliance.com